Nashbar CX1 Cyclocross Bike – 51 CM

While the official cyclocross season takes place in a handful of winter months, we take a much larger view and consider each and every day the perfect time to take a 'cross bike out into the great outdoors. And when it comes to value, nothing's finer than our latest and greatest rig for those seeking to stretch every last dollar: the Nashbar CX1 cyclocross bike. At its core the CX1 sports a well-crafted, TIG-welded aluminum frame coupled with a 'cross rider's best friend up front -- a carbon fiber fork. For the frame, aluminum strikes the perfect balance between steel and carbon steeds. Aluminum is lighter than steel and is impervious to the corrosive effects of nasty weather. And while not quite as svelte as carbon fiber, aluminum is much easier on the wallet and can withstand an incredible amount of punishment. The carbon fiber fork, replete with a stout aluminum steerer tube, also keeps weight down but delivers quite the awesome ride quality no matter how challenging the terrain. Aesthetic-wise, too, the CX1 hits it out of the park as its black paint job with green accents flat out looks super-sharp. You'll thank your lucky stars that all the cables are run along the top tube as they're far as possible from the slime and grime kicked up onto the bike in muddy terrain and they're all externally routed for the ultimate ease of maintenance. And when you grab the down tube to shoulder your bike there's no cables to get in the way to boot. While some 'cross bikes take the super purist route and provide no water bottle cage braze-ons, we, on the other hand, believe differently. 'Cross bikes are the true all-arounders of the cycling world and we highly recommend adding a couple of cages and heading out for lengthy adventures in the woods. Component-wise, there's a slew of super-stout aluminum goodies that make this rig such a remarkable value. Shimano Sora 9-speed components are built to last and they're spec'd where they count the most as the shifter/brake levers, fron